Adjustable louver type ventilator



Nov. 16, 1954 l., l.. SMITH 2,694,446

ADJUSTABLE LOUVER TYPE VENTILATOR Filed July 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet lNov. 16, 1954 L. l.. SMITH 2,594,445

ADJUSTABLE LOUVER TYPE VENTILATOR Filed July so, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 225 gymww.

United States Patent Gliiice ^Patented Nov. 16, 1954 ADJUSTABLE LOUVERTYPE VENTILATOR Lester L. Smith, Peoria, Ill.

Application July 30, 1952, Serial No. 301,688

3 Claims. (Cl. 160-223) This invention relates to adjustable louver typeventilator structures and has particular adaptation to such structureswhich are adjustable at installation to t gables yand the like havingvarious pitch angles.

The structure disclosed herein is a simplified and modiiied form of theadjustable louver type ventilator disclosed in my copending applicationSerial No. 173,182, filed July 1l, 1950, and entitled Adjustable LouverType Ventilator.

One of the general objects of this invention is to provide a louver typeventilator structure adapted to placement at the gable of a building andwhich is not only adjustable to t various roof pitch angles, but whichmaintains relatively uniform spacing between the louver slats whenadjusted to the various angles.

A'further object is the provision of an adjustable ventilator of thelouver type from which angularly disposed side frames and the like havebeen omitted without losing the unitary nature of the structure and theability to effect quick adjustment for a relatively wide variation ofangle. In the disclosed structure, the ends of the louvers stayconnected to one another without the use of the side frames, and aresuitably shaped so as to be adapted to be secured directly to the gableor other structure that is to be ventilated. The ends of the louvers, bybeing connected for linear movement relative to one another, provideangularly related sides on the ventilator, and can be directly attachedto the structure to be ventilated Without the use of separate sideframes.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will lbe apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevational view showing the adaptation of a preferredembodiment of my adjustable louver type ventilator to the gable of abuilding which is depicted fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View of a portion of theventilator shown in Fig. 1, drawn to a larger scale than Fig. l andshowing more details of the louver structure;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a portion of the louverstructure shown in Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, showing thevarious parts of an individual louver, and the mode of attachment of thelouver to a central spacing member;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 5 5 of Fig. 2,and in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 6 6 of Fig. 2and in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on a line 7-7of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on a line 8--8of Fig. 2, and in the direction of the arrows.

It is definitely desirable that a ventilator for a gable or the likeshould be adjustable angularly, so as to be capable of fitting thevarious angles of different gables. Heretofore such adjustability hasbeen effected with the aid of side frame members that are a part of thelouver structure and that are angularly adjustable to positionscorresponding to that of the particular gable to which the ventilator isto be attached. With the disclosed structure, the side frames areomitted, and the ends of the .louver plate 15 which lies at the apexvshaped to be inclined outwardly,

louvers collectively dene the sides of the ventilator which are attachedto the gable and are adjusted with respect to one another collectivelyto define an angle corresponding to that of a roof.

With reference to the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of theinvention is depicted for illustrative purposes, Fig. 1- shows theadaptation of an adjustable louver type ventilator 10 to the gableportion of a building 11, wherein the ventilator is secured inpractically flush relation to siding boards 12 at the apex of a pitchroof 13, and wherein the ventilator is adjustable to fit snugly into theangle formed between gable trim strips 14.

Giving further general consideration to the structure of myk preferredventilator structure, it includes a top of the ventilator and provides avertex to the general triangular shape to which the generalcontiguration of the disclosed ventilator complies. Below the top louverplate 15, a series of extensible louver slats 16 are provided, whichlouver slats extend in substantially parallel relationship to oneanother and are spaced from one another at their midportions to provideVentilating air passages 17, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The mid-portionsof the slats 16 are as also shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A bottom extensiblelouver slat 18 extends across the bottom of the series of slats 16 andis substantially flat and vertical, thus providing a substantially tlatbottom flange portion for the ventilator assembly.

Considering my illustrated ventilator in greater detail, and since it isone of the purposes of my invention to provide a ventilator structure inwhich substantially uniform spacing is maintained between adjacentlouver slats, regardless of the degree to which the slats arelongitudinally extended or contracted, I have provided a spacer rail19twhich7 in the embodiment shown, constitutes a channel. The upper endof the spacer rail 19 is secured `to the louver plate 15 by fasteningmeans, such as rivets t part 21 in opposed relationship to one anotherand longitudinally slidable relative to the stationary mid-part;

yWhile the bottom louver slat 18 likewise has movable end parts 26 inopposed relationship at the opposite ends of the stationary mid-part 23,and telescopically engaged with the latter part for longitudinal slidingmovements. In my disclosed structure, the telescopic engagement of thestationary mid-parts with the movable end parts of the louvers isaccomplished by having complementary sectional shapes for the engagedportions of the louver parts and by providing return bent flanges 27along the opposed longitudinal edges of the stationary mid-parts 21which overlie and slidably receive the opposite margins of the movableend parts 25 at the opposite ends of the stationary mid-parts.Similarly, the opposed longitudinal edges of the stationary mid-part 23of the bottom slat 26 have return bent flanges 28 which overlie andslidably receive the opposite margins of the movable end parts 26. Thesemargins are provided with return bent anges 29 which stiffen the endparts 26. The sides of the spacer member 19 are folded into return bentflanges at the lower end of the spacer member so that they can tit intothe lower return bent llange 28 on the mil-part 23 of the bottom slat18, as shown in Figs. 3 an 5.

In each instance. the outer extremities of the movable end parts 2S and26 of the louver slats are substantially at and overlap one another. Theextensible louver slats increase sequentially in length from the toplouver plate 15 toward the bottom. The successive increases in thelengths of the louver slats are generally uniform, so as to provideuniform slopes to the opposite ends of the assembly. In the disclosedstructure, the stationary mid-parts 21, as well as the end parts of theslats, are successively longer from the top louver plate 15 toward thebottom.

As shown in Fig. 4, each movable end part of each louver slat `16 has alongitudinally extending slot 30 adjacent one side edge 31 thereof, andsomewhat'spaced from an end 32 of the slat, and also has an opening 33which is farther from the side margin 31 and nearer the end margin thanthe slot 30. The opening 33 in the end part 2S of each louver slat 16receives or mounts a headed member such as a rivet 34 which extendsthrough the slot 30 in the corresponding end part 25 of the adjacent andnext longer louver slat 16. The rivet 34 and a washer 35 mounted on therivet hold the end parts of successive slats 16 together, as shown inFigs. 2, 3 and 7. The rivet and the slot 30 permit the end parts ofsuccessive slats 16 to have relative movement longitudinally of theslats when the louver assembly is adjusted to tit the angle of a gableto which the louver assembly is to be applied. The washer 35 has adiameter larger than the width of the slot and the diameter of a spreadheader 36 on the rivet 34. The washer may be dished, as indicated inFig. 7, so as to present a convex face toward the slot 30 and a concaveface toward the rivet head 36. The slots 30 in the top or smallestextensible louver slat 16 receive rivets or headed members 34 which aremounted in the louver plate 1S. The openings 33 in the bottom or largestlouver slat 16 mount headed members 34 which are received inlongitudinally extending slots 30 in the end parts 26 of the bottom slat18.

The side edge 31 and end 32 of each end part of the slats 16 and 18 meetin generally right angular relationship and define an attaching tab 37through which fastening means, such as a nail 38, may be applied tosecure the end part to a gable of a building, as shown in Fig. 1. Theheaded members 34 and associated washers 35 hold adjacent louver endparts 25 and 26 together in individually and linearly adjustablerelationship, so that collectively they can be set to tit various pitchangles of gables or the like.

The headed members 34 and the slots 30 which receive them cooperate withthe spacer member 19 in holding constant the transverse spacing of thelouver slats from one another, regardless of the adjustment of themovable end parts and 26 of the louvers.

From the foregoing description, and by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, it may be readily understood that I have provided a louverassembly which is constructed and arranged for quick and easy adjustmentto various pitch angles within a range, without changing the spacingbetween adjacent louver slats, so as to alter the ventilation provided.Furthermore, the structure is adapted to rapid production and economy ofmaterial.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and IA do'not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is: Y

l. In an adjustable louver type ventilator of generally triangularshape, the combination comprising a series of longitudinally extensiblelouver slats arranged in spaced and parallel relationship, which louverslats are of progressively increasing length from one louver slat to thenext across the series, the louver slats of the series includingintermediate parts and end parts slidable lengthwise of the intermediateparts, a spacer member extending across the intermediate parts andsecured thereto so as to hold constant the spacing of the louver slatsin a direction transverse of their lengths, said end parts havinglongitudinally extending slots therein and headed members near the outerends thereof, the headed member on the end part of each louver slatprojecting through the slot on the end part of the next adjacent louverslat and holding the end parts of the said given louver Slat against theend parts of the said adjacent louver slat while being movable in theslot to provide for lengthwise movements of the end part of the saidgiven louver slat v/ith respect to the end part of the said adjacentlouver s at.

2. In an adjustable type ventilator of generally triangular shape, thecombination specified in claim 1, and further comprising a plurality ofwashers, each washer being mounted on a headed member between the end ofthe headed member and the end part having the slot through which theheaded member projects, and said washer having a diameter larger thanthe head and the width of said slot.

3.`In an adjustable type ventilator of generally triangular shape, thecombination specified in claim 2, and wherein the washers are concavelydished and are placed on the headed members so as to have their concavesides facing toward the ends of the headed members which carry thewashers and their convex sides facing toward the slots in which theheaded members are located.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,458,134 Belden Ian. 4, 1949 2,589,529 Bowers Mar. 18, 1952

